§ 28. Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she is satisfied with the response of schools to her circular of 1977 on the need to keep school uniform requirements to the level of grants available to low-income families to buy school uniforms.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonThe circular letter of 26th May 1977 was sent to local education authorities in response to a suggestion that some of them would welcome my right hon. Friend's views on school uniform. It stressed the importance of avoiding situations where the additional cost involved in providing a uniform greatly exceeded the help available. I am not satisfied that all schools120W take sufficiently into account the burden placed on families by the clothing lists they prepare, nor that all local education authorities provide grants to low-income families commensurate with the additional cost of meeting schools' requirements.